Dallaire: Canadian government is failing its obligations in Mali

Former United Nations force commander in Rwanda Roméo Dallaire says the Canadian government is failing to fulfill its obligations under the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) in Mali, where France has been leading an intervention against Islamic extremists since Jan. 11.

“This government, even with Libya, has refused to used the term Responsibility to Protect. Overtly refused to use the term,” said Senator Dallaire. “We’re already beyond having to qualify R2P (in Mali). We’re already down that road. The UN has already wanted to implement it. But what’s lagging is the will to intervene.”

Under the UN definition of R2P, the international community has the obligation to take collective action in countries where the government is failing to protect its population’s rights under the UN Charter. In an interview with iPolitics Thursday, Dallaire said that, as far as he is concerned, the requirements to enforce R2P have been met in Mali, since the country has made a call for assistance.

While Canada continues to avoid the use of the term “R2P” in relation to the situation in Mali, Dallaire predicts the French may use the doctrine to call for additional military support from other countries, including Canada.

So far, the Canadian government has responded to French requests for assistance by providing one C-17 transport aircraft for the mission. The aircraft is assisting with the transport of equipment and personnel between France and Bamako until Feb. 15.

Dallaire agreed that Canada has been responsive to France’s needs. But when it comes to requests for troops and capabilities outlined in the UN Security Council Resolution 2085 on Mali, he said Canada has not given the same sense of urgency.

“We’ve responded to needing what the French need, at least for what they’ve indicated. But we have not responded … on what Canada has done regarding the UN. So far, I’m thinking that Canada hasn’t even responded,” said Dallaire.

Landlocked Mali has been in turmoil since March 2012 when Islamist militant Tuareg rebels seized the northern part of the country and ousted the sitting president. In December, sitting prime minister Cheick Modibo Diarra was forced to resign. The French intervened Jan. 11 and continue to push extremists out of rebel strongholds such as Gao, Timbuktu and Kidal, and into the desert.

A man takes a close look at a burned-out truck in Timbuktu, Mali, Thursday. AP Photo/Harouna Traore

Paragraph 13 of Resolution 2085 on Mali, passed in December, calls on member states to contribute troops to the African-led and UN-backed International Support Mission in Mali (AFISMA). The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) organized the AFISMA mission, which is pledging 5,500 African troops.

The Canadian government maintains that while it supports France’s leadership in the implementation of the Resolution 2085, Canada will not undertake a combat mission in Mali.

“We are committed to working with partners in the region — and allies around the world — to best determine how we can help Mali move forward to a stable democratic, representative and constitutional rule,” said Rick Roth, press secretary for Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird, in an email.

Roth highlighted Canada’s contribution of more than $110 million in humanitarian assistance to Mali from 2010 to 2011. International Co-operation Minister Julian Fantino announced an additional $13 million in humanitarian assistance for Mali Tuesday.

Dallaire said the lone C-17 and humanitarian aid is not enough. He called for more substantive Canadian involvement in Mali.

“The fact that we are committing no resources to the UN mission — be it money, be it troops, be it capabilities — to me is a significant deficiency because that is certainly a venue that could bring some structure, as complex as it is, to the situation if it gets there soon enough,” said Dallaire.

But Dallaire was clear in saying that Canada should not take the lead in Mali.

He said a number of forces must work simultaneously to get Mali back on its feet. Based on his experience leading the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR), Dallaire said the mission in Mali must be led by the African troops, with support of other nations, such as Canada.

“When I went into the Rwanda as the force commander, the head of the mission was African. I was the number two and that was okay,” said Dallaire. “It is outright credibility for the Africans. Africans are not children. They are not people of colonies.”

Although Dallaire reflected on his experiences in Rwanda while discussing the situation in Mali, he said the threats unraveling in Mali do not and probably will not constitute a genocide. He called the violence in Mali a series of “mass atrocities” because the extremists are killing people on all sides.

Dallaire said he fears a growing Islamist extremist presence may spread across the West African and Sahel region. For him, the worst case scenario is that the world turns its attention to the other conflicts such as those in Syria or Iran, and the French start to lose support in Mali. If the world lets Mali collapse, Dallaire said the Sahel region will start to experience a “domino effect,” which could have an effect on Canada in the way of terrorist attacks.

“If you let Mali fall to the extremism, then that whole region is going. And so the security risk to our own nation (Canada) is in play here by ensuring that al-Qaeda cannot get a foothold,” said Dallaire. “Mali is sort of that first domino.”

Dallaire maintains the international community did not react fast enough to the threats facing Rwanda leading up to the the 1994 genocide that left an estimated 800,000 people dead. However, he said for Mali, it’s not too late. If the international community, including Canada, acts on its Responsibility to Protect, Dallaire said there will still be time.